Devils' Joey Anderson is stopped by Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom in the first period. Markstrom deserved better as he held a shutout through two periods before a couple of defensive lapses led to the shootout loss.DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Devils’ Joey Anderson is stopped by Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom in the first period. Markstrom deserved better as he held a shutout through two periods before a couple of defensive lapses led to the shootout loss.DARRYL DYCK /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

You know the saying about something quacking like a duck must surely be a duck?

That rule does apply to the contest on Friday night between the Vancouver Canucks and the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Arena.

The Devils won 3-2 in a shootout.

Much finer examples of NHL hockey have been played on the brilliant white ice at the palace on Griffiths Way, but this was nonetheless an NHL game.

With the Devils down nine skaters to injury — yes, a baseball team’s worth — and the Canucks seven (eight if you count Quinn Hughes), both teams’ lineups looked not far from what might be seen in the preseason.

Like many a preseason game, it started poorly but eventually found some momentum in the second period — Elias Pettersson scoring for the first time in a dozen games — and the third period featured a trio of goals.

The Devils’ two third-period tallies did Jacob Markstrom no justice, as the big Swede was once again stout in net, only to be let down by defensive lapses in front of him.

He might have had a shutout if the defenders had done a better job of tying up Devils forwards Kevin Rooney and Stefan Noesen, who had the goals for the Devils.

The Canucks got the sensational second-period marker from Pettersson, and a second on a lucky bounce for Tanner Pearson early in the final frame.

Damon Severson had the winner in the the seven round of the shootout.

Here’s what we learned…

Ouch

Chris Tanev blocked a shot early in the first period and was forced to leave the game.

After the game, Canucks coach Travis Green said Tanev’s season was over because of a suspected broken bone in his right foot.

Vancouver Canucks’ Josh Leivo, right, watches as a shot from Elias Pettersson, not seen, gets past New Jersey Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood for a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Friday March 15, 2019.DARRYL DYCK /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Pettersson power

Asked by this reporter before the game whether he’d pondered trying out a new stick, Elias Pettersson scoffed and replied “oh, no.”

Then he looked away.

Fair enough: the kid knows how to score and he knew he’d score soon enough.

And how he did.

He wired home a shot in the second period over Mackenzie Blackwood’s left shoulder that was reminiscent of the rocket he launched on opening night.

Blackwood never really stood a chance, such was the velocity of the shot, released from just above the left face-off dot, and such was the angle of the shot, which was just inside the left post and just below the crossbar.

You know, where the cookie jar is and all that.

He also scored a dazzling goal in the shootout, pulling off a Forsberg-ian one-handed deke.

The goal in regulation, his 27th, gave him 59 points on the year, tying him with Trevor Linden for points by a rookie. The former captain and team president had 30 goals and 29 assists in 1988-89.

One more point and he’ll tie Pavel Bure and Ivan Hlinka for most points in a season by a rookie.

Bure had 35 goals and 25 assists in 1991-92; Hlinka — who was 31 in his first season in Vancouver after many years in Czechoslovakia — scored 23 goals and added 37 assists in 1981-82.

Vancouver Canucks blue-liner Alexander Edler checks New Jersey Devils’ Kenny Agostino during the second period.DARRYL DYCK /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Oops

There were two other goals in this game, the Canucks’ second by Tanner Pearson and the Devils’ lone marker by Kevin Rooney.

Both were cases of oopsies — Pearson’s goal was a shot going wide that Blackwood somehow played into the net behind him with his leg pad, while Rooney’s was a rebound effort that saw him somehow left untouched by Canucks defender Alex Biega.

Both were cases where, were this golf, mulligans would have been taken.

• LISTEN: This week’s White Towel podcast opens with talk of expectations squarely on the shoulders of injured rookie Quinn Hughes; potential for the Canucks to make moves at the NHL Entry Draft; Travis Green’s pitch to be the bench boss going forward; and why GM Jim Benning might be out of a job by the end of the season:

Tie it up

Stefan Noesen’s goal was the result of a defensive breakdown, with the Texas-born winger left unchecked on top of Markstrom’s crease.

He had plenty of time to fire a loose puck past Markstrom, who had no chance.

It was Noesen’s seventh shot on goal of the night.

New Jersey’s Kevin Rooney fights off Vancouver Canucks’ Guillaume Brisebois in the first period. Rooney would have one of the Devils’ two goals in regulation before the shootout victory.DARRYL DYCK /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Virtanen throws a hit

Such was the state of the game in the first period that a Jake Virtanen hit near the New Jersey bench stood out.

In another game it would have also been notable, but in this preseason-like affair, it stood out with an exclamation point. As in: It! Stood! Out!

(Seriously, though, it was a very good hit and got the crowd reaction it deserved. Surely more hits like it can be found?)

Blech

The Canucks had four minutes of power-play time.

A man with a stopwatch would tell you that the Canucks spent a total of 43 seconds in the offensive zone in that stretch.

This is not a prescription for winning hockey, but then again the Canucks’ power play hasn’t been functional for months. (Yes, Pettersson’s goal in the second period was on the man advantage, but you know how things have gone over the last two months or so.)

The drop-pass zone-entry play may be derided in this town, but it’s only because the Canucks are so bad at it. It’s an approach used by most power plays around the league; they’re just a lot better at it.